1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to farm or ranch equipment and, more particularly, to devices used in cooperation with an auxiliary jack to extract posts, having a generally T-shaped cross-section, that are embedded in the ground.
Posts are in world wide use today primarily as support for fences, and although posts have other uses, it is most frequently their use in fences that involves a need for their removal. Wherever fence posts are used, it is at times necessary to remove them from the ground.
A device used to remove a fence post from the ground is identified, generally, as a "fence post extractor". While prior fence post extractors are considered to be useful, often they are inconvenient to use, expensive to manufacture, and in some instances even dangerous to the individual using them.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a post extractor, primarily for fence posts, that is reliable, effective, simple to use and is safe in that it resists any tendency to slip, thereby resulting in injury.
2. Description of Prior Art
Post extractors, generally, are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,133,709 to Conley, that issued Mar. 30, 1915, describes an apparatus that could be useful for extracting drills that become embedded.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,999,174 to Jackson, that issued Apr. 30, 1935, describes a hoisting and lifting jack which is constructed for hoisting embedded rods and pipes, while permitting it to be utilized as an ordinary jack.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,726 to Lundgren et al., that issued Jan. 15, 1957, describes an adjustable fence post removing device that will fit posts of various thicknesses and of various shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,343 to Benchley, that issued Sep. 10, 1963, describes a post dislodging and pulling implement that relies upon a wedge used with a hitching device for different types of post.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,503 to Bro, that issued Nov. 16, 1971, describes a fence stretcher for stretching fencing wire and serves as a fence post extractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,687 to De Rome et al., that issued Oct. 2, 1973, describes a fence post pulling apparatus that is constructed of a pair of apertured members connected together by a chain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,601 to Boardman, that issued Aug. 9, 1991, describes a device for extracting fence posts having a T-shaped cross-section to engage lugs located on a post.
Swiss Patent No. 172281 to Conforti, that issued Dec. 18, 1933, describes a double hooked device for use with a jack to dislodge posts embedded in the ground.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.